SMU men's tennis head coach Grant Chen announced the addition of John Zisette to the Mustang 2020 recruiting class.
 
"I am excited to add another very talented junior John Zisette from Manhattan Beach, California to our squad this Fall," said Chen. "I've been fortunate to see his game develop over the years and ready to help him get to the next level. He has some huge weapons including a rocket of a serve and the love of competition and training. We got to watch him win the 117th annual Hillman Southern California Junior Doubles Sectional Championships in October '19 which shows his strong skill sets in doubles at the biggest tournament in So Cal. He is still growing in to his body and is a very balanced student athlete from a wonderful tennis family. He comes from a strong tennis background where his father played collegiately at Texas A&M after training at Bollettieri Academy for many years. He will add tremendous depth to the roster and bring qualities that will really help the team and his collegiate career."


 
"Growing up, I spent a lot of time with Coach Grant, along with several of my teammates who I've known from a young age," said Zisette. "However, it was after visiting the school, spending time with the guys, talking with the coaches, and seeing the promising future of the team, that I knew it was the school I wanted to attend. At SMU, I am looking forward to working as hard as I can to help my team and take us to the next level. I believe in the group of guys we have, and I am excited for the journey to come."
 
Hailing from Manhattan Beach California, Zisette is a four-star recruit by Tennis Recruiting Network. Zisette boasted a top-5 ranking by the USTA in the tennis-rich Southern California region. The high school senior has a 10.95 UTR in singles and an 11.60 UTR in doubles.
 
In his 2019 season, Zisette advanced to the finals of the Santa Barbara City Championships and brought home a third-place finish at the Florida Open National. In doubles play, he won his way to the semis of the USTA Level 2 Championship in Tucson.
 
At the clay court masters in 2018, the California native won six matches knocking off the fourth-ranked and ninth-ranked seeds, finishing off the No. 9 seed with a decisive, 6-2, 6-0 score.
 
Zisette took home titles at the Salt Lake City Zonals in 2018 and a pair of third place finishes at the Vegas National Level 3 Championships. His 2018 season also included a quarterfinal showing at the Ojai Championships and a third-place finish at sectionals.
 
John is the son of Matt and Amy Zisette of Manhattan Beach, California. Coming from a strong tennis family, John's father was a letterwinner at Texas A&M from 1989-1991. Zisette trains with Oliver Messerli at the Tennis Power Academy in Ranchos Palos, California and also with David Anderson at Brookehaven Country Club in Farmers Branch, Texas.
 
Zisette joins the 2020 Mustangs recruiting class which also includes Liam Krall and Callaway Clark. The Mustangs are coming off a strong 11-5 shortened 2020 campaign.